Angie's Answers

From the sounds of it, you have a clog between the floor drain and the connection to the city sewer (unless you have a septic tank). The lower flow rates of sinks / showers / dishwashers probable don't cause a backup like the washing machine does. A couple of suggestions.

1. Snake the drain line with a spade tip snake, twisting the snake as you advance it. This should clear the partial blockage.

2. If feasable, have your washing machine discharge into a utility sink and put a strainer on the drain to catch the clothing fibre (fibres and grease from the sink probably made the clog in the first place not to mention a garbage disposal).

3. Replace your floor drain with one that has a backflow preventer (looks like there is a ping pong ball in it).

It is not uncommon for a plumber to have to go get the parts necessary to repair and complete the job. It is very hard to determine what the problem is over the phone and it is not until the repair process begins that the parts needed to resolve the problem is discovered. It may also depend on if the plumber is using hourly rates or per job rates. I would hope the time to get the parts would be minimal and the charge would be as well!

FYI: CPVC and PEX are two different materials and installed differently. PEX is not intended to be glued but instead has special crimp fittings. PEX is a brand name of one product that is manufactured slightly differently by others as well so it is important that the same brand fittings are used to match the pipe material.

Mobile homes used CPVC for years and some still do. It works fine but is not as strong as a properly soldered copper pipe system. Is the contractor installing this new plumbing a licensed plumber? I'd be surprised if he is since he's using CPVC and not PEX (or similar) or copper. PEX pipe is even cheaper than CPVC when run by a knowledgable plumber. It doesn't require nearly as many joints since it comes in rolls and can flex through spaces easily.

There are some groups raising a fuss about BPA and other chemicals found in plastics that don't like the use of CPVC, PVC, or PEX pipe. I haven't seen the results of any lab tests to confirm or dispute their concerns. As far as durability goes it's fairly safe as long as it's properly installed and secured. It is not as susceptible to hard water damage as copper. It absolutely must be insulated along it's entire length to protect it from contact to other materials as well as freezing. Also, the fixtures in the house need to be grounded electrically since the pipe itself provides no electrical protection against accidental shock or electrocution. In a copper plumbed house the system is grounded so static electricity, a short in a wire near a water line, or lightning strike will carry the current out through the pipe instead of through the water to you, ideally.

If it's installed correctly you should be fine but make sure the contractor knows what he is doing and follows the proper procedures to use CPVC pipe.

It is usually cheaper to remove part of the ceiling below and patch it after the leak has been repaired. Remember that water can travel before settling in one area, causing the spot you've seen. Just because it is below the toilet does not mean that the toilet is the problem. The cheapest option is to pull the toilet and check the floor around the wax ring to see if it has been leaking. A new wax ring only costs a few dollars. When was the last time you caulked the shower in that bathroom? The water can leak around the corners or at the door (if you have one) and travel along the floor joists until it pools in a lower spot on the ceiling below, then seep through. It could also be a seal at the drain of the tub or shower.

I get a few calls a year for this sort of thing. It's usually something simple but can be a nightmare to diagnose, especially if the problem is intermittent. Start with the simple possibilities and use deductive reasoning to narrow the possibilities. Before you do a lot of damage it may pay off to hire a reputable contractor to help you make sure you've exhausted all of the imple and more obvious possibilities.

The simple answer is ,"No!" The only way to effectively clean grease and scum from a drain line (or a neighborhood, jk) is with high pressured water. The machine they use is called a Jetter, many drain cleaning companies have them.

Do you know the age of the existing valve? Are you sure the existing valve is a ball valve and not a gate valve? Gate valves notoriously fail after prolonged periods of being either open or shut. The rubber washer breaks down or gets mineral build up on it and then it won't shut off. Whether the valve is bad or not it's a lot cheaper to replace it while he's got the area dug up and working on those connections than having him return to dig it up and pull it all back apart again due to a leaking valve. The valve will run around $20 and the pipe isn't much either (price depends on the type of pipe). Labor is an few minutes so he likely isn't charging you any more in labor costs to put the new valve in than he would to do the rest of the work anyway.

Like Vern said, he has a minimum amount he has to charge to cover his costs and still make money. Being a contractor of any sort is not cheap with all of the government regulation, higher fuel costs, tool costs, etc. It probably costs him at least $200 a day just to be in business if he's a self employed independent. More for someone with a shop and answering service, etc. Most plumbers around here are going to charge at least $100/hour with a minimum charge. It'll probably take him 2-3 hours to install everything so he's really not out of line. You might be able to find someone a little cheaper but check their reputations.

Drain Pipe Installation reviews in Reading

A

Rating

“

In October 2014, I discovered that the drainage that was installed in my backyard and completed in August 2014 by a local landscaping company did not work properly. As a result, during a heavy rain, water approached my back door threshold. I joined Angie's List in an attempt to find a company that I could trust to correct my drainage problem quickly ...More and definitively. I chose

and I am completely satisfied.

contacted my immediately and he understood my skepticism after dealing with a company that installed a drainage system that not only did not work, but redirected water toward my house. He pointed out other potential problems caused by the recently completed backyard project and helped me resolve them. He removed the improper drainage and installed proper drainage in less than 2 days. I have witnessed several heavy rains since then and the system works great. Rain water no longer accumulates in my back yard, no more flooding of my back porch and no more water approaches my back door during a heavy rain. I recommend

and

100% for their honesty, promptness, quality service and workmanship. ”

- Julie G.

B

Rating

“

My appointment time was from noon to 2:00 PM, they were about 45 minutes late. They found the leak and fixed the pipe within minutes and they installed my flap in my bathroom toilet lid no cost, because I had the parts, very kind of them.

”

- Kathy P.

A

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“

was very professional. I've used him a few times in the past and he's always on time, does a great job and charges appropriately. I would recommend him.”

- Robert G.

N

Rating

“

We had a major water leak in the kitchen. The water was coming through the light fixture on the ceiling, it was getting everything wet and we couldn't figure out where the water was coming from. We called

who promptly came out and inspected the kitchen to find the leak. After a thorough investigation it was determined ...More that the water lines that were running through the ceiling were bad and leaking water into the kitchen. It was also determined that the previous owner of the house had done his own plumbing work and did not do things correctly. We had decided to have the whole house re-piped instead
of just spot fixing the leak to prevent further problems in the future.

re-piped the whole house in a timely matter and the problem was resolved. We haven't had any problems since.

was quick to come out and quick to find the problem. I would highly recommend them to anyone who is having any plumbing and electrical problems.”

- Martin G.

N

Rating

“

did such a wonderful job with his ideas. The ideas just came natural to him and he had just pulled them out of his head for the design was so wonderful and creative with them.
I was just lost for words when he just started suggesting ideas and what I could do with my project.
They had started the excavation with ...More a machine, and at the same time the delivery truck had shown up with the pavers to my surprise. I had thought it would have taken longer than it did, from the start to finishing period.
They started the installation of pavers of the driveway the fallowing day of the excavation with the machine, at the same time they were installing the driveway they had men in the back doing the excavation by hand and by then started the sidewalk that

around to the patio.
From my amazement, they had my dream driveway and patio done in three day's.
I could not of imagined such a beautiful job done by anyone like they had done. It had came out better than I had expected, and I can not thank them enough for the awesome job they did.”

- Heather F.

A

Rating

“

I called

about a flooding/drainage issue I had in my backyard and patio area. My backyard is next to a field which slopes towards my house. My patio and portions of my yard would be 'underwater' after a heavy rain leaving it unusable for days. I was also concerned about damage to the house and foundation. I called ...More and spoke to

. He was courteous and assured me he would be able to solve the drainage problem.

arrived and I showed him the area and what exactly the problem was. He seemed very knowledgeable of this type of situation and was describing what was causing it as well as a plan to correct it. He took notes and measurements of the area and created a drainage plan with a quote.

and his crew were friendly and organized and began moving pavers, digging, etc. I was pleased with their work, it only took two days to complete and he gave me a five year warranty on the drainage system. Since then, we have had several rains, some even severe. I was so excited not to have any standing water in my backyard or patio after the rain! I was able to use my patio within minutes after a rain, not days and I would recommend them to anyone who is having a similar drainage problem.

”

- Trina H.

N

Rating

“

We had serious drainage issues in our front and backyard. I called

and they were available promptly to come give me an estimate and to size up the problem. The work was done when they said it would be and we were very pleased with the outcome. We have had a lot of rain lately and the drain pipe seems to be doing it's job. ...More We also had moss rock and bull rock added to enhance the front landscape. Again, we were pleased with the outcome and promptness of service.”

- Debbie S.

D

Rating

“

Last May and June we began experiencing water leaking into the basement bathroom. It was coming from the West wall, behind the cabinet. As I removed the cabinet, I found mold and damp drywall along that wall. We have also noticed the tiles on the floor are loose and the floor heating doesn’t work any longer.

We called PermaSeal ...More to come look at it, and after 4-5 visits, they finally brought a plumber out with a camera to inspect the outside drain system. When they inserted the camera into the clean-out, they confirmed the drainage system only went south of the clean-out towards the front of the house. This left about 8-10 feet to the North completely unprotected, and this is exactly where the water was entering the house. When I reviewed the contract the previous owner signed with them, it clearly states how many feet of drainage tile were to be installed and that the entire house (except for the crawl space) was to be covered.

In short,

charged for work they did not perform which lead to damage of the basement. They have accepted responsibility and they added the missing section of the drainage system in October. I have since been working with them on the payment for the damages and they are being rather difficult to deal with. I believe at a minimum, they were negligent in performing the work.

We have received three estimates and PermaSeal has offered to pay the lowest of the estimates in return for a complete waiver of liability. I am unwilling to accept this offer. ”